The police in Orissa arrested Dileswar Apat, 28, a resident of Alapaja village in Sundergarh district, after he allegedly hacked to death at least six persons with an axe on Wednesday.
Apat went on the killing spree after he was denied work at a construction site by a village committee.
He was later captured by the villagers and handed over to the police.
The bodies have been sent for post-mortem.